Sporting News

Jul. 13, 2017

Share:

Midfields dominate football nowadays and no matter how many goals your pin-up full forward is kicking or how dour your defence, if you're not winning it out of the contests then you're not in flag contention.

The AFL's best statisticians, Champion Data, keep track of which clubs' on-ball brigades are flying and which are dying, and the boffins have just released updated rankings that have seen some big changes since the first bounce of 2017.

Not surprisingly, seven of the top eight rated teams are in the actual top eight at the moment, but one side has jumped massively from last to fourth, while the pre-season leader has dropped to 10th.

14Gold Coast

Now: = 13

Start of the year: 14

The Suns are where they started the year, both in midfield rankings and in football life in general.

There's on-ball talent at Gold Coast and Jarryd Lyons has been a great get, but if Gary Ablett leaves at the end of the year they'll need players like Jack Martin and David Swallow to step up from 'handy' to 'elite'.

13Essendon

Now: = 13

Start of the year: 13

The Bombers are looking good this year but most of their strength comes from key position forwards and defenders, while the midfield plods along.

The good news is that Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish and Andrew McGrath should be a gun on-ball trio for the next decade, but there's not a lot of life left in Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton and Brendon Goddard so a transition period could exist for a couple of years yet.

7Greater Western Sydney

Now: 7

Start of the year: 4

It's hard to keep a high ranking when you lose guys like Coniglio, Whitfield, Hopper, Smith and Deledio for large chunks of the season, but the Giants are still in the mix and have the key position players to fill some of the gaps.

If GWS can get their best on-ballers on the park they' be right at the pointy end of the rankings.

6Melbourne

Now: = 4

Start of the season: 18

A huge move from last to equal fourth has been mainly on the back of Clayton Oliver's emergence (as many things, but especialy as a ball-winning machine) and a great year from Jack Viney before he got injured.

If the Demons can keep the midfield pressure up they could go right to the top.

4Geelong

Now: = 4

Start of the year: 7

It's all Dangerwood, but when those two are on song it's hard to find room for anyone else.

In reality Sam Menegola has continued his rise after years of frustration, and Mitch Duncan is having a career-best year. The inclusion of hard nut Scott Selwood also plays a big part in Geelong's ball-winning ability.

3Western Bulldogs

Now: = 2

Start of the year: 2

It's a bit of a surprise the Dogs have maintained their ranking despite an overall form drop, but we keep forgetting they finished seventh after last year's home and away season and only dominated in September.

Sometimes we forget how deep these guys bat, and the quality of Bontempelli, Macrae, Hunter, Dahlhaus and Daniel has covered chunks of time without Liberatore and Wallis.